The weight of the moment pressed down on Kairo like a vice. The stranger—Zephyr—stood calm and unbothered, as though the ominous growls reverberating through the hallway were nothing more than an inconvenience. Kairo, on the other hand, was barely holding it together. His heart raced, his hands shook, and his grip on the kitchen knife felt almost laughable in the face of whatever was out there.
"Lina," Kairo called, his voice firm despite his fear. "Stay in your room, no matter what. Don't come out until I say it's safe."
The silence from her room was deafening, but he could sense her there, listening, terrified.
Zephyr shifted slightly, his long coat brushing against the doorway. "Your instincts are good," he said, his voice even. "But you'll need more than that if you want to keep her safe."
Kairo shot him a glare. "You're really calm for someone about to fight... whatever the hell that thing is."
Zephyr raised a brow, his faint smirk somehow both reassuring and infuriating. "Calm minds prevail, Kairo. Chaos feeds the shadows, and fear is their greatest ally."
Before Kairo could respond, the growl deepened into a snarl. A shadow began to materialize under the door, oozing like liquid smoke before twisting upward into a grotesque form. The creature was larger than the one from earlier, its shape vaguely humanoid but warped, as though someone had tried to sculpt a person out of tar and failed miserably.
Kairo stumbled back instinctively, his breath caught in his throat. The air in the apartment grew thick, suffocating. The creature's glowing red eyes locked onto him, and he felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.
"Stay behind me," Zephyr said, stepping forward with the calm authority of someone who had done this countless times.
"What are you going to do?" Kairo asked, his voice wavering.
Zephyr didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a slender, silver rod etched with intricate symbols. He held it in his hand like it was an extension of his body, and as he spoke, his voice took on a commanding tone.
"Shadows of the Abyss," he said, his words reverberating with a strange, almost musical cadence. "You do not belong here. Return to the void from which you came."
The creature hissed, its form rippling as though Zephyr's words physically struck it. For a moment, it seemed to hesitate, its red eyes narrowing. But then it lunged, faster than Kairo's eyes could track.
Zephyr moved with equal speed, the silver rod glowing with a pale blue light as he brought it up to block the attack. The creature's claws clashed against the rod, sending sparks of energy flying. The force of the impact shook the room, and Kairo stumbled backward, his back hitting the wall.
"Is this... normal?" Kairo asked, his voice rising with panic.
Zephyr chuckled, the sound almost casual. "Normal is relative, my friend. Focus. Breathe. You'll need to be ready soon enough."
"Ready for what?" Kairo demanded.
Instead of answering, Zephyr sidestepped another lunge from the creature, twirling the rod in a fluid motion that sent arcs of blue energy crackling through the air. The creature howled as the energy struck it, its form flickering like a dying flame.
Kairo's chest tightened. Watching Zephyr fight was both mesmerizing and terrifying. The stranger moved with an ease that seemed impossible, as though he were part of some elaborate dance only he knew the steps to.
But even as the creature faltered, Kairo could feel the oppressive energy growing stronger. A second growl echoed from the hallway, and then a third. His eyes widened as more shadows began to seep under the door, each one taking shape with chilling efficiency.
"There's more!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
Zephyr glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Of course there are."
"What do you mean, 'of course there are'?" Kairo's frustration boiled over. "You're acting like this is normal, but I'm standing in my kitchen watching monsters crawl out of the damn walls!"
Zephyr's lips twitched in what might have been amusement. "Then perhaps it's time you stopped watching and started acting."
"Acting?" Kairo repeated, incredulous. "With what? I don't exactly have one of those"—he gestured wildly to the glowing rod—"in my pocket!"
Zephyr dodged another attack, the creature's claws scraping against the wall and leaving deep gouges in the plaster. "You have something far more powerful than this rod," he said, his voice calm despite the chaos. "But you'll never use it if you let fear control you."
Kairo's head spun. He didn't understand what Zephyr was talking about, but his words struck a chord deep within him. The golden energy he'd felt earlier stirred faintly, like a match waiting to be struck.
The creatures began to converge, their snarls blending into a cacophony of malice. Zephyr swung the rod in a wide arc, sending a wave of blue energy that momentarily held them at bay, but it was clear he couldn't hold them off forever.
"Kairo," Zephyr said, his tone sharper now. "Focus. Breathe. Feel the energy within you. It's there, waiting for you to use it."
"I don't know how!" Kairo shouted.
"Yes, you do," Zephyr insisted. "You just don't trust yourself yet. Stop thinking. Stop doubting. Trust."
The words echoed in Kairo's mind, drowning out the growls and snarls. His breath came in shallow gasps as he tried to focus, tried to reach for the strange energy that had saved him earlier. It felt distant, like a memory just out of reach.
The nearest creature lunged, its claws aimed straight for him. Time seemed to slow as Kairo's instincts took over. He raised his hands, a desperate shout tearing from his throat.
The golden light erupted from within him, brighter and stronger than before. It surged outward in a wave, slamming into the creature and throwing it backward with a deafening crash. The others recoiled, hissing as the light washed over them.
Kairo staggered, the energy leaving him as quickly as it had come. His hands shook, and his vision blurred, but he was still standing.
Zephyr turned to him, his expression unreadable. "Not bad," he said, his voice laced with something that might have been approval.
"Not bad?" Kairo repeated, his chest heaving. "I almost just died!"
"But you didn't," Zephyr said simply. "And now you've taken your first step."
Kairo didn't know whether to scream or laugh. He settled for glaring at Zephyr as the man stepped closer, the faint glow of the rod dimming as he tucked it back into his coat.
"The shadows will return," Zephyr said. "Stronger and more relentless than before. But you've proven you have the potential to face them."
"Great," Kairo muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Zephyr's faint smile returned. "The road ahead won't be easy, but it's the one you were meant to walk. Trust me, Kairo Solis. This is only the beginning."
As the last traces of the creatures faded into the shadows, Kairo felt the weight of Zephyr's words settle over him. He didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was clear: his life would never be the same.